This invention relates to a nozzle and more particularly, to a nozzle which selectively emits a substantially fine atomized stream of material.
Nozzles are used to selectively emit various types of material, such as and without limitation paint or other types of liquid, upon a targeted location and/or object. In order to provide an overall aesthetically pleasing appearance and to allow the material, which is typically of a liquid form, to be accurately placed or deposited upon the certain targeted location and/or object, it is desirable to cause the emitted material to form a relatively fine atomized stream or mist. The desired atomized stream and/or mist is typically achieved and/or formed by mixing the material with and/or applying an atomizing gaseous material to the material.
While prior nozzles allow for the selective emission and placement of atomized material upon such a targeted location and/or object, they do not adequately form such desired atomized streams of material. That is, many of these prior nozzles oftentimes emit xe2x80x9cspitsxe2x80x9d or disproportionally large amounts of material due to an undesired xe2x80x9cbuild upxe2x80x9d or deposit of the material within the nozzle, thereby causing undesired and relatively high deposition concentrations of material upon the targeted object or location.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior nozzles; which selectively emits relatively fine atomized streams of material; which substantially prevents the emission of xe2x80x9cspitsxe2x80x9d of material; and which efficiently utilizes atomization gas, effective to selectively place and/or deposit material upon a targeted location and/or object.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles and which selectively emits a relatively fine atomized spray or mist of material.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles and which causes gaseous material to substantially and supersonically travel within the nozzle before atomizing liquid material, thereby creating a relatively fine atomized spray or mist of material.
According to a first aspect of the present invention a nozzle of the type which receives and which selectively emits material is provided. The nozzle has a first inlet aperture which is Selectively and communicatively coupled to the material and which selectively allows the material to be placed within the nozzle. The nozzle includes an outlet aperture through which the received material is emitted, and at least one injection member which resides within the outlet aperture and which selectively injects a second material into the outlet aperture, effective to cause the material to mix with the second material, thereby forming a material mixture which is emitted from the nozzle.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method is provided to create a relatively fine stream of material. The method includes the steps of providing the material; providing a gaseous material; providing a cavity having an outlet aperture; causing the gaseous material to supersonically travel within the cavity and to be emitted through the outlet aperture; injecting the material within the outlet aperture, thereby causing the injected material to atomizingly mix with the supersonically traveling gaseous material, effective to form a relatively fine mist of atomized material.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention in combination with the accompanying drawings and the claims.